Tip off (EL 5th g.): A classic rivarly

By Nikos Varlas/ varlas@eurohoops.net

Τhe end of Euroleague’s regular season first round is upon us! Once more we have a game on Wednesday as Real Madrid hosts Anadolu Efes in the Spanish capital. Six more games will be played on Thursday and five more on Friday night. At this point we have a clear image about the standings in the four groups.

Some teams have already made important steps towards the Top16 and some others are already in trouble. After four weeks, defending champion Olympiacos, Real Madrid and Fenerbahce/ Ulker are still unbeaten, while two teams are still searching for their first win.

One of them is wildcard participant Strasbourg, which could be happy just for playing in Euroleague and the other is Siena, which is facing the possibility of ending the first round without a win. The Italian champions are facing on the road Unicaja Malaga, the Spanish club wants to bounce back after losing to Bayern Munich and that makes the mission of Siena even harder…

Game of the week: Maccabi Tel Aviv vs Panathinaikos

One of the biggest rivarlies in Euroleague is again on the forefront. Maccabi Tel Aviv hosts Panathinaikos in a game that will be an important crush test for both of them. The two teams faced each other for the first time back in 1971 and in 30 games between them, the Greeks have 16 wins and the Israelis 14. Those two are not just longtime rival, but also two bonafide dynasties, which have been opponents in three Euroleague finals.

Maccabi (3-1) has three straight wins – two of them on the road – and a win against Panathinaikos could be the next step in securing the top spot of the regular season standings. The Greens (2-2) need a big win in order to prove that they are really the title contenders most people were expecting them to be before the start of the season.

Sofoklis Shortsanitis will face his former team, Panathinaikos, for the first time, after returning to Tel Aviv in the summer and once more the duel applies even the the playing styles of the two opponents. Maccabi’s trademark is an uptempo basketball based on speed, instict and one on one abilities. The Greek champions are the exact flipside of the coin, a team which likes to control slow tempo games, wants to play like a unit and will pass the ball until finding the open shot. The hosts seem to be in better shape, but in those kind of games that doesn’t mean much.

Honorable mention: Lokomotiv Kuban vs Laboral Kutxa

One more game in Group D is more than interesting. Lokomotiv (3-1) despite being a new comer in the league is impressive, while Laboral Kutxa (2-2) is an impredictable team, slowed down by its injuries with the latest victim being Fabien Causeur who was diagnosed with renal abnormality. That provided many ups and downs in performance so far, it almost makes Lokomotiv the favorite, but the game still is a matter of tempo and shooting efficiency by the guests.

In theory, if Lokomotiv imposes its tempo and proves once more efficient in defence, the Russians will win the game. The Basques will need perfect transition offense and a good shooting night in order to get it done.

Straight to the sponsor: Galatasaray vs Bayern Munich

Bayern is already making a lot of noise in Europe, having a 3-1 start, but lost the big BBL game against Alba in Berlin. That been said, the Germans are already on track to get a Top16 ticket and had a great game against Olympiacos on the road, showing that they are ready for anything.

What can you say for the Turkish champs? After Jawai and Markoishvili, the team also lost for the season Jamont Gordon with an ACL injury and also Erwin Dudley is injured and will be out for the next three months.  Bad luck is a part of sports, but this year’s Galatasaray is probably the unluckiest team in the modern history of the league. The plans of coach Ergin Ataman are already shattered, a new rotation should be build with the addition of Pops Mensah Bonsu and also Malik Hairston appears to be ready to leave Milan for Istanbul, but the team now needs to make even more additions in order to stay competitive. You can make a joke with this kind of luck. Still it’s ironic that the team so early in the season has to use so much the services of basic sponsor Liv Hospital.

Under the microscope: The game of hope

In a Group D where no team is unbeaten, anyone can still have Top16 hopes. However, the winner of the game between Crvena Zvezda (1-3) and Lietuvos Rytas (1-3) in Belgrade will have the right to believe that a step forward was made. Crvena Zvezda has the first word, specially after beating Laboral Kutxa on the road, but the Lithuanians have an experienced roster which could react  in turn the tables.

The question: Who can stop them? 

Undefeated – in every competition this season – Real hosts in Madrid Anadolu Efes (3-1), a solid, experienced and competitive Euroleague team. Coach Pablo Laso already said that the starting five of the Turks is one of the best in the league. Still ,we have to ask: Which is the team that can threaten this season’s supersonic version of Real Madrid and at least provide a game that will be thrilling? It’s Efes’ turn to try its luck.